As part of the rollout of the Windows 7, Microsoft has launched a contest to spur on development and interest in the forthcoming operating system.

The Code7 Contest is a chance for Microsoft to get developers motivated about the new OS, due to ship on October 22, and for developers to "get a massive 'marketing bump' for your application," as Yochay Kiriaty, Windows 7 Technical Evangelist, put it in a blog post announcing the contest.

Developers are encouraged to write a Windows 7 application that utilizes the technology and features in Windows 7 and show off what the app does in a short video entry. Entries must be received by October 10, 2009. Up to three entries per person will be accepted, but each must be unique.

The contest is open to students, professionals, or enthusiasts so long as they are over 18 years of age. The contest is void in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and amusingly enough, the province of Quebec, Canada. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on why Quebec has been lumped in with nations considered enemies of the United States.

To enter, the developer has to come up with an original, consumer-oriented desktop application that utilizes the Windows 7 environment, so no AIR or JavaFX apps. The application has to fall into one or more of six categories: Simplify My Life, More Media More Places, Gaming, Work From Anywhere, Safeguard Your Work, and/or Applications for a Better Tomorrow.

The application must utilize at least one of the following Windows 7 technologies (the more, the better): Libraries, Windows Touch, Shell Integration, DirectX 11, and/or Sensor and Location Platform.

Once you've written your application, you must create a Windows Media Player video in English that describes and demonstrates it. The video cannot exceed three minutes in length or 10MB in file size.

Early bird winners

While the deadline is October 10, videos submitted before 11:59pm PDT on August 15 can be considered Early Bird entries and subject to a bonus award. A panel of judges will select Early Bird winners, two runner-up winners, and one finalist from each of seven global regions on October 10.

Finalists will be invited to present their application to a panel of judges at the Microsoft Partner Developer Conference 2009 (PDC2009) on November 17-19 in Los Angeles.

The grand price is $17,777 cash paid in the form of a check from the sponsor or an American Express gift card, plus being highlighted on Microsoft's Channel 9 developer portal and a chance to visit the Microsoft campus in Redmond. Microsoft won't cover travel expenses, so there goes a chunk of the $17,777.

Six runners up will receive $7,777 in cash paid in the form of a check from the sponsor or an American Express gift card